Oko Sermon - Lecture in praise of Nichiren Daishonin
Reverend Shogu Kimura
November, 2009
Letter to the Brothers (“Kyodai-sho”)
Cultivating Faith to Withstand the Three Obstacles and Four Devils
If you propagate [this doctrine], devils will arise without fail. Were it not for these, there would be no way of knowing that this is the true teaching. One passage from [the fifth volume of the Maka shikan] reads, “As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge, vying with one another to interfere….You should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If you fall under their influence, you will be led into the paths of evil. If you are frightened by them, you will be prevented from practicing true Buddhism.” This quotation not only applies to Nichiren but also is the guide for his disciples. Reverently make this teaching your own and transmit it as an axiom of faith for future generations. (Gosho, p. 986; MW-1, p. 145)
According to Buddhism, what kind of practice is essential? In general, there is a tendency to consider practice to be something special or an action performed in order to achieve a certain condition. This, however, is not correct. Simply living our daily lives is in itself an essential practice in life.
When Abraham Lincoln employed people, he reportedly decided whether or not to hire them based on their facial countenance. Young people in their teens and twenties still need more experience. But people over forty clearly show in their facial appearance and expressions the way in which they live their daily lives. It was Lincoln’s opinion that those over forty should take complete responsibility for the condition of their facial countenance. Accordingly, if we consider daily life to be a form of practice, then our circumstances will affect our facial appearance and expressions, as a matter of course, after the age of forty.
A group of advanced nations is conducting an experiment to place people on a long-term basis in the International Space Station. They are conducting tests to assess the future viability of humans living permanently in outer space. As this experiment has progressed, there have been reports that those who reside in the space station have shown signs of osteoporosis, in which they experience gradual bone loss. Under normal conditions, as our bones grow old, they disintegrate and are then replaced by new bone matter. This is a continual process within the body. Since there is no gravity in outer space, however, the production of new bone matter ceases, and the existing bones gradually weaken.
Thus, the earth’s gravity applies constant pressure to our bodies, and without this pressure we cannot survive. We can use this as an analogy for our faith. Indeed, the various pressures in our lives enable us to maintain sincere faith and practice.
The passage we are focusing on today from “Letter to the Brothers” (“Kyodai-sho”) teaches us that pressures in the form of obstacles will occur one after another without fail when we practice true Buddhism. In fact, in the Great Concentration and Insight (Maka shikan), the Great Teacher Tiantai declares that if obstacles do not arise and vie with one another to impede our progress, then we are not practicing true Buddhism. Nichiren Daishonin refers to this passage as documentary proof to support his guidance. In the Gosho, “Letter to the Brothers,” the Daishonin teaches us this point and other issues that form the essential key to our Buddhist faith and practice.
The title of the Gosho is a reference to the brothers Ikegami Munenaka and Ikegami Munenaga, the recipients of this letter, who were directors of the Office of Construction and Repairs for the feudal Kamakura government.
The two brothers had been sincerely upholding Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings for some time, but their father, Yasumitsu, was a follower of Ryokan of Gokurakuji Temple. Ryokan was propagating the doctrines of the Ritsu sect in Kamakura, under the protection and patronage of the powerful Hojo clan, who, in fact, had constructed Gokurakuji Temple. Ryokan was revered by the people like a living Buddha, and he wielded great influence upon the political and religious circles of the time. He was a cunning man who constantly plotted and schemed. It was Ryokan who urged Hei no Saemon-no-jo Yoritsuna to behead Nichiren Daishonin at Tatsunokuchi. Influenced by Ryokan, Yasumitsu, the father of the Ikegami brothers, tried his best to cause them to abandon their faith in the Lotus Sutra. Yasumitsu disowned Munenaka, the older of the two brothers, who defiantly kept up his strong faith. At the time, in Japanese feudal society, it was an extremely critical situation for a samurai warrior to be disowned by his parents. It meant that all resources and provisions for his livelihood were severed, and his retainers and those who served and supported him were left out in the cold.
It was at such a time that Nichiren Daishonin sent the Ikegami brothers this Gosho, “Letter to the Brothers,” in which he urged them to uphold their faith. In response to the Daishonin’s encouragement, not only the older brother but also the younger brother, Hyoe-no-sakan Munenaga, joined together and upheld their faith in the Lotus Sutra. Reluctantly, the father withdrew his disownment for a while.
Ryokan must have then intensified his efforts against the brothers. Approximately one year later, the older brother Munenaka was disowned a second time. The father pressured the younger brother Munenaga by saying that he would ensure his inheritance of the entire household if he would immediately renounce his faith in the Lotus Sutra.
Once again, Nichiren Daishonin sent a letter of encouragement. The younger brother Munenaga had begun to falter slightly, but he never renounced his faith and was ultimately able to carry through his practice. As time passed, the father could not help but give in. He undoubtedly felt that Ryokan’s demands were terribly unreasonable and irrational.
Before long, Yasumitsu reversed the disownment of his eldest son. Furthermore, he himself renounced his faith in Nembutsu and embraced the Lotus Sutra. Thus, he ended his life as a believer of the Lotus Sutra. This was truly the result of the brothers’ strong faith. As conditions changed, Nichiren Daishonin sincerely supported and encouraged the brothers at every juncture. Most of these Goshos were addressed to the younger brother Hyoe-no-sakan, whose faith was shaky at times. The “Letter to the Brothers” contains a proviso that reads:
This letter was especially written for Munenaga. (Gosho, p. 987; MW-1, p. 147)
In these Goshos, the Daishonin also provided guidance in faith to the wives of the two brothers. It is truly wonderful that the younger brother Hyoe-no-sakan did not falter in his faith. The faith of the Ikegami brothers evolved in this way and eventually enabled their father to embrace true Buddhism.
In this Gosho, Nichiren Daishonin references several anecdotes in order to encourage the two brothers. The lesson conveyed in the story of Po-i and Shu-ch’i is particularly significant. This tale is contained in the first volume of the “Biographies and Collective Biographies” section of the Records of the Grand Historian (Ch. Shiji; Jpn. Shiki), which recounts the early history of China.
Po-i and Shu-ch’i were two princes of the state of Hu-chu. Their father, the king, on his deathbed, willed his title to the younger brother, Shu-ch’i. However, after the father’s passing, Shu-ch’i insisted, “I am not going to assume the throne. I will yield the title to my older brother.” The older brother Po-i strongly admonished his younger brother to assume the throne, telling him that he must not disobey his father’s will. The two deferred to each other and could not come to a resolution. Together, they abandoned their kingdom. They went to live in the state of Chou and served King Wen for a while.
Following the death of King Wen of Chou, his son, King Wu, prepared to do battle with King Chou of the state of Yin. Po-i and Shi-ch’i admonished King Wu and told him that he must be filial and honorable and not start a war during the period of mourning for his father. Rather than listening to their admonition, King Wu grew furious and tried to punish them. T’ai-kung Wang, a famous minister, restrained the king, and prevented the incident from getting out of control. The two brothers were loathe to follow this king and left the palace.
They went into seclusion in Mount Shou-yang and survived by eating bracken. One day, a passerby commented that the bracken growing in the mountain also belongs to the king. They realized that this was, indeed, the truth. The two brothers now could no longer eat even the bracken and had no option but to starve to death. However, it was the way of heaven not to forsake sages. A white deer appeared before the brothers. The two drank the milk of the deer and managed to survive.
After a while, Shu-ch’i suddenly blurted, “Since the white deer’s milk is so sweet to drink, its meat must taste even better.” Po-i quickly tried to silence him but heaven must have heard his outburst. The white deer never again appeared before them. Po-i and Shu-ch’i starved to death as a result.
After telling this story, Nichiren Daishonin explained:
Even though a person acts wisely throughout his life, one careless word can ruin him. (MW-1, p. 141)
In the Ikegami household, Yasumitsu, the father, was influenced by Ryokan and applied pressure on the brothers Munenaka and Munenaga to forsake their faith by threatening them with disownment. The brothers courageously endured this, but even the slightest carelessness or slackening in their faith would enable the devilish obstacles to seize the opportunity and wreak havoc in their lives. The younger brother’s faith was the weaker of the two, and he was at a high risk of experiencing instability in his faith and being enticed and controlled by others.
The story of Po-i and Shu-ch’i was a timely anecdote that was directly applicable to the circumstances experienced by the brothers Munenaka and Munenaga. After relating this story, Nichiren Daishonin explained the true attitude in faith that we must uphold. He wrote:
A passage from the fifth volume of the Maka shikan reads, “As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge, vying with one another to interfere….You should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If you fall under their influence, you will be led into the paths of evil. If you are frightened by them, you will be prevented from practicing true Buddhism.” This quotation not only applies to Nichiren but also is the guide for his disciples. Reverently make this teaching your own and transmit it as an axiom of faith for future generations. (Gosho, p. 986, MW-1, p. 145)
The Great Teacher Tiantai expounded that, when we sincerely practice Buddhism and seek to achieve our objectives, the three obstacles and four devils will resolutely arise one after another to try to impede our progress.
The three obstacles are earthly desires (bonno sho), karma (go sho), and retribution (ho sho). They obstruct people from advancing on the correct path and prevent us from practicing true Buddhism. The obstacle of earthly desires arises from the three poisons of greed, anger, and stupidity, which are intrinsically inherent in our lives. The obstacle of karma is caused by bad karma created by committing any of the five cardinal sins or ten evil acts. The obstacle of retribution represents the painful karmic effects of our past actions.
The four devils refer to the four types of hindrances that force people onto the evil paths. They consist of earthly desires (bonno ma), the five components (on ma), death (shi ma), and the Devil of the Sixth Heaven (tenshi ma). The hindrance of earthly desires refers to suffering caused by one’s own earthly desires. The hindrance of the five components is the function that obstructs our Buddhist practice by disrupting the harmony of the five components of form, perception, conception, volition, and consciousness. The hindrance of death refers to circumstances in which death prevents us from performing our Buddhist practice. Finally, the hindrance of the Devil of the Sixth Heaven, who resides in the realm of greed, functions to prevent us from performing good deeds.
There are detailed doctrinal explanations for each of these functions, which seek to prevent us from our practice of Buddhism and challenge us in various ways. Nichiren Daishonin wrote:
This quotation not only applies to Nichiren but also is the guide for his disciples. Reverently make this teaching your own and transmit it as an axiom of faith for future generations. (Gosho, p. 986; MW-1, p. 145)
The purpose for the Great Teacher Tiantai’s advent into this world was to expound the Great Concentration and Insight (Maka shikan). In this writing, the principle of the three obstacles and four devils (sansho shima) was revealed in the same section as that of the doctrine of ichinen sanzen (three thousand realms in a single life-moment). This demonstrates the tremendous power of the three obstacles and four devils.
All of us, who live in the Latter Day of the Law, can expect to experience intense obstacles in faith and practice, just like those encountered by the Ikegami brothers. As we endeavor to correctly uphold our faith in the Three Great Secret Laws, we must be constantly aware that the three obstacles and four devils are always seeking out ways to impede our progress.
I would like to conclude my lecture by sincerely praying that you will overcome the three obstacles and four devils with the mighty sword of faith, based on true Buddhism, so that you can attain great benefits and establish true happiness in your individual families, in your lives, and throughout society.